Square deal B still worth it?

[jake556]

Im browsing local deal on a Square Deal loader, looking for honest feedback on if they are worth it for .38 .358 and 9mm.

Also interested in the pros and cons of ownership, I have been using a 550 for years, and I understand the dies are special to the square deal.

What would be a good deal on a used one?

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I have been using SD's since the late 80's......Only negative is they will only load pistol cartridges. I now have 4 with 9 caliber changes. When I got mine I wanted auto indexing and the only other Dillon with auto indexing at the time was the RL1000.
If I had to start over I'd probably get a 750
(auto indexing).....But I'm happy with my SD's that have produced 1000's upon 1000's of trouble free cartridges.

 

[socal s&w]

As above, I too have 4 SDB's and have been loading on them since the early 90's.
While small, they work fantastically well. If you have very large hands, they may be a little tight, but still should work just fine.
While the dies are proprietary, they are worth it for a working SDB machine.
There are deals to be found for used SDB's as that's how I own 4 of them.
Are they worth the price of new, maybe. But many times, they can be had for much less, like $150-$300.
I have churned out tens of thousand of high quality rounds with those machines and wouldn't trade mine for any of the other Dillons available.

 

[Barbarosa99]

I purchased my first one for $135.00 delivered . Great machine loads quality ammo.

 

[loc n load]

Square deal

Bought one when first introduced, set up for 9mm. Have loaded thousands & thousands of rounds with it over the years. IMO it works just as well as my 550's.

 

[Huskerguy]

I too have a SDB and only load 9mm on it although I have dies for 38/357 and 45 ACP. It is easy to set up and once you get the hang of all the moving parts, it is easy to take care of. It can crank out good ammo in a reasonable time. Just remember you have to put a new piece of brass and the bullet on each time.

Down side is there is no extra hole for a powder cop and the proprietary dies. They are easy to adjust and work fine, I just don't like the crimp die as it "coke bottles" my 9's. I shoot a lot of 9 in competition in several different firearms and it produces consistent and accurate ammo with minimal problems.

I also have a Hornady LNL AP and load my 38 on it. It runs like a top as well.

 

[austintexas]

machines

I own 3 square deals. When they first came out they were a very good deal For the price new now not so much. If you can get one cheap buy it. I've had 550s and 650s which I sold. Rifle calibers I load on a Rock Chucker that I bought used long ago for $25. Square deals work great for me in my pistol reloading. Dies are a little pricey but everyone's seem to have gotten more expensive. Great warranty even if you bought it used. I have a Hornaday lock and load with case feeder , new probably $700.00ish. Been on my gunshow table for 6-8 months and We're down to $250.00 and not much interest. I have bought incomplete square deals for as low as $80.00 and I've seen them from $350 complete to $500. Short story: if you can get it cheap , buy it you'll like it.
SWCA 892

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

My first 2 were less than $200.00(NIB).........My second 2 were given to me......I load my rifle cartridge on a 45 year old RCBS Jr.........Mec 600's take care of my shotgun needs.

 

[gym cat]

SDB's work great. Personally I would build on the 550 with dies and plates etc. You can use the 550 as a single stage press to try new loads etc. IMO the most versatile press out there.

 

[viceunit]

I have one that I got nearly 30 years ago. Two years ago I sent it in to Dillon for a complete rebuild and they also supplied the new, current powder measure. Originally set up for 44 special/magnum I added 38/357. Not to difficult to swap out between calibers, but I load as much as I can until I need to switch over. I don't load any rifle cartridges so this is adequate for my needs.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

SDB's work great. Personally I would build on the 550 with dies and plates etc. You can use the 550 as a single stage press to try new loads etc. IMO the most versatile press out there.

Nah....Doesn't have auto indexing and you don't manually index the shell plate by hand the next lever pull will create chaos.

 

[MSgt G]

I've had one for about 20 years now. Bought if used. Had it sent back and completely refurbished a few years back since the price was right - free. I reload 9mm, .38 Special, and .45 ACP. Buy one, you won't regret it.

 

[chief38]

I had a SD-B for 25 years and reloaded well over a 130,000 + rounds on it. After competing in 3 different style of shooting competitions all at the same time, the SD-B was just not doing it for me. It was hard to load the massive quantities I required on and was also limited to certain pistol calibers. The Dies are also proprietary and no other brand of Die can be used on he SD-B. I also found that the ergonomics on the SD-B are just not meant for large quantities and long hours of operation. BTW, Dillon sent me a bunch of free replacement parts so I could rebuild a lot of the worn ones and the second rebuild was a major one done by them - for free. Can't beat their customer service!!! The 650 and 750 will go much farther before requiring any parts replacements & overhauls!!

About 15 years ago I sold my SD-B and upgraded to an XL650 which can use any standard Dies. It is way way faster, much easier to use, has much better ergonomics, can crank out ammo much faster and can also reload many rifle calibers. There are many more attachments like a case feeder, bullet feeder, loading trays and a bunch of add on after market accessories as well. With the roller handle accessory my hands do not get torn up, the action is so much more fluid and easier to operate and automatic case feeding is a pleasure!

After owning a SD-B for 25 years and an XL650 for 15+ years I would advise anyone who can to get the XL750 which has taken the place of the XL650. The 750 has a few upgrades over the 650 but is a similar type machine super heavy duty, accurate, precise and a pleasure to use. While the SD-B is an OK machine, it is just too limited, as far as I am concerned and meant basically for small quantity reloading use. Yes, I learned a lot about reloading on the SD-B but regretted not getting the 650 sooner. IMHO, the SD-B is very quickly outgrown. Again, the SD-B will get most of the job done for handguns but at a heavy price on comfort, speed, effort, proprietary only dies and limited accessories availability.

BTW, I have never owned a Dillon 550 but have used a few at friend's houses. IMHO, the 650 and 750 blow the 550 away! Just my opinion of course.

 

[Garrett-J]

The SDB is a great single-cartridge press, and many people will line up several on the loading bench, each set up for a single cartridge. I bought a used one in the '90s for $100 and thought it was great. Caliber changes aren't difficult, and I originally had it set up in .40 / 10mm / .45ACP.

I later bought a 650 and used the SDB for large primer cartridges, and the 650 for small primers. I eventually sold the SDB when I moved and became space-limited. I figured I could put a bunch of 650 toolheads up on a shelf and get by with just the one progressive on the bench.

I was floored recently when I saw the base price on the SDB ($729) is now actually higher than on the 550 ($699). Of course, that's without any caliber conversion or accessories. By the time you outfit the press with the minimum parts needed to start producing ammo, the SDB may still be the less expensive option, but it's no longer the "inexpensive" progressive press.

I would have no reservation about buying an SDB if I could find a used one at a decent price. But if buying new, I'd take a hard look at a 550 or, better yet, a 750.